Method of making shoes



1,641,782 Sept. 6, 1927. G. M RAY METHOD OF MAKING SHOES Filed Nov. 11. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1,641,782 Sept. 6, 1927. G. M. RAY

METHOD OF MAKING SHOES Filed Nov. 11 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 6, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFKIE.

METHOD OF IAKING SHOES.

Application fled November 11, 1928. Serial R0. 147,801.

In the manufacture of McKay sewed shoes, the usual method has been to secure a rounded inner sole in position on the last bottom, then last the upper thereon and then secure a metal shank stiffener to the shank before the outer sole is placed in positlon, the stifi'ener bein secured by tacks which are driven theret ru and clenched against the metal bottom on the last. When the shoe is to carry a wood heel it is customary to provide a leather board reinforcing piece for the heel part ofthe inner sole, and usuall this is extended to the front end of the s ank, as it may be terminated at this point, by

skiving the front edge, without causing a ridge on the sole bottom. This reinforcing piece is usually secured to the innersole blank and both are died out together.

This method, while satisfactory under some conditions has been found to be unsatisfactory under other conditions, more particularly in the manufacture of womens shoes which have a narrow shank and usually carry a high heel, for several reasons: When a shoe having a narrow shank is lasted, the edge portions of the upper and lining Wlll frequently be drawn in onto the middle portion of the shank, at the narrower portions thereof, so that the opposite edges of the 80 upper either abut or he close together, and when the shank is very narrow they often overlap. Under these conditions, w en the metal stifi'ener strip is secured m position it is likel to hear at its middle portion on 85 the Iaste -in edge-portions of the upper, or to bear thereon at one edge, and not at the other, or to bear on a double thickness of the upper. If, therefore, the shank stiflener strip has been shaped longitudinally to cor- 40 respond to thelongitudinal curvature of the.

last, it is likely to be prevented, by the lasted-in upper edge rtlons, from having a firm bearing throng out its entire length.

That is, while it may have a firm 311 port a one end and at the middle, the ot er on may be held away from the sole. If the strip is bent so that both ends engage the sole, then the tacks which are used to secure it are likely to be pulled out by the resiliency of the metal.

A shoe having a stiff, inflexible shank, which is ri 'd with relation to the heel, is very desira Is and, to this end, metal shank stiflening strips. have been die shaped in transversely concave-convex form and sha longitudinally to correspond to the lon tudinal curvature of the shank rtion o the last on which the shoe is to 0 made, and then tempered, so as to secure the maximum strength and rigidly for the wei ht, but, when it is attempted to secure sue a stiffener to a shank which is so narrow that the edge portions of the upper extend beneath the stlifener to a greater or less extent according to conditions, it has been found impractical to use such a stiffener for the reason that it cannot be conformed to the -varying conditions above referred to. For

these reasons it has been considered neoessary to employ a metal shank stifiener which is somewhat pliable so that it may be conformed to the varying conditions above referred to. The use, however, of such a stifi'ener is objectionable as, in addition to the fact that the shank of the shoe is not held with the desired rigidity any substantial change in the longitudina curvature of the stiffener is likely to throw the heel, when attached, out of tread with the forepart, thereby causing a defect which is hi hl objectionable and such stiffeners are likely to become disconnected from the innersole and to become misplaced as before explained.

Moreover, the use of tacks, for the purpose of securing the metal stifiener in position, or of similar securing means, which must be driven through the sole and clenched against the iron bottom of the last, is objectionable for many reasons, principally because such means is insecure, so that the strip is liable to become disconnected from the innersole and then become misplaced, and all nails or tacks which are clenched at the inner side of the shoe are objectionable for well known reasons.

The above difficulties, due to variations in the surfaces to which the metal shank strips are attached, are further increased b variations in the position in which the eather board reinforcing piece, when used, is at, tached to the inner sole, that is, the skived front edge of the shank piece should, and is intended to terminate at the transverse line in which the shank and forepart surfaces of the last bottom meet, and if this piece is set too far forward, or too far back, the shank strip will not conform thereto with the result that the strip when attached will be supported either too high or too low at its front end.

Another difliculty which has been encountered, and is incidental to the method above referred to, results in a lateral displacement of the innersole at the shank by the lasting operation. That is, in the manufacture of McKay sewed shoes, iron bottom lasts are employed and openings are provided in the iron bottoms at several pomts to ermit tacks to be driven into the wood to old the innersole in position. For vari ous reasons these openings are usually not located at more than three points. In lasting the upper onto the shank rtion of the innersole, after the laster raws the upper as tightly as he can at one side and secures it by tacks, there is considerable lateral pull by the u per on the innersole until this is counter balanced by lasting it at the other side, thus pull being particularly eat in the shank on account of the fact t at the sides of the last in the shank form a nearly continuous surface with the bottom. In consequence, if the innersole is of light wei ht material, the shank portion 1s liable to e laterally displaced, or pulled to one side by the up r, before the lasting at the other side can l a performed, and the resulting defect is not usuall detected by the laster and, if detected, is iilicult to correct, but, if not corrected, results in a defective shoe These difliculties, while primaril encountered in the manufacture of Mc ay sewed shoes, ma also be encountered to some extend in t e manufacture of shoes made b other processes which emplo an inner so e and have narrow shank portions, which will enable the use of metal shank stiifeners which are molded to conform to the particular lasts on which the shoes are to be made and are transversely curved and tempered, so that they cannot be bent under any strain to which they would ordinarily be subjected, and will enable shoes, having the heels set so that they tread perfectly with the forepart, to be produced. Also to provide a method whereby the use of tacks, or similar means, for securing the metal shank stiffener to the innersole may be avoided and attachment thereof will be enabled in a manner to prevent subsequent displacement under practically all conditions and which will also prevent lateral displacement of the shank portion during the lasting operation.

I accomplish these objects, primarily, by securely attaching a rigid practically unyieldable, metal stifl'ener, which has been shaped to correspond to the longitudinal contour of the particular last on which the shoe is to be made, to an innersole which has been shaped to the last bottom, and to which a hee and shank reinforcing piece nouns:

has been attached in predetermined relation, then securing the parts thus connected to the last bottom in conforming position, then lasting the shoe and proceeding by the usual methods.

For a more detailed ex lanation of the invention, reference is ma e to the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a lan view of an innersole with a shank rein orcing piece thereon previous to the dying out operation.

Fi 2 is a perspective view of a metal sha stifiener strip which is preferably employed.

Fig. 3 is an ed view of the innersole after it has been ied-out.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a last with an innersole secured thereto, and previous to lasting.

Fig. 5 is a similar view after lasting.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the finished shoe.

In the manufacture of McKay sewed shoes it is customary to provide an innersole blank, as a, which has not been rounded, and to attach a leather board reinforcing piece, as b, in position thereon, the latter ing adapted to extend over all the heel and shank portion of the sole and havin a skived front edge 6. Those parts, as t us arranged, are then died out in sole form.

In constructing a shoe according to my method, it is an essential to the success thereof that the dying out o ration be so performed that t e front e ge b, of the stillener piece, shall in each instance be located in such a position that, when the innersole is placed in position on the last bottom with its edges in coincidence therewith, the front edge of the stifi'ener ieee will terminate in the line in which the s ank and forepart surfaces meet. In a last for a shoe carrying a high heel, these surfaces meet at a well defined angle, so that the line which marks the vertex of this angle is definitely placed. The'blank from which the innersole 1s died out is usually somewhat longer than the die pattern, so that unless some means is provided for guiding the sole cutter, the sole is likely to he died out in such a manner that the above described relation will not be secured when the innersole is placed in position on the last. To this end the point is first ascertained where this line meets the cutting edge of the die which is used to cut out the sole and this point is, in practice, indicated on the side of the die by a mark, as indicated at X in Fig 1, and when the die is placed on the blank, it is set in such a position that its indicating line X is directly over the edge 6' of the reinforcing piece.

A metal shank stiffener strip a is provided, which is die shaped and tempered in transversely concave-convex form, so that it is practically inflexible, and is also curved longitudinally to correspond to the curvature of the shank portion of the last on which the shoe is to be made, the end portions of the strip being flattened, so that, when in position in the shoe, said end portions will lie flat against the heel seat and ball portions of the shoe respectively.

In performing the next step of the method the strip a is placed in the middle of the shank ortion of the reinforcing piece and innerso e, with the convex side out and in such a position that its flattened front end extends for a short distance beyond the front edge b of ieee b. The parts a and b are bent to con orm to, the strip 0 and are firmly secured thereto in this position by rivets d, which are driven through the innersole, from its inner side and through piece 6 and also the stripcadjacent its ends and" clenched against the latter, so that these parts are securely bound together, the smooth heads of the rivets being flush with the inner surface of the sole, so that all possibility that the securing means for the shank stifl'ener will subsequently be ob'ectionable to the wearer of the shoe is avoi ed.

The innersole, with the piece I) and strip 0 thereon, is then placed in position on the last bottom and, assuming that the parts have been correctly formed and assembled, the surface of the sole which has been conformed to the stiffener strip will conform to the shank part of the last when its edges coincide with the edges of the last. The innersole is then secured in this position in the usual manner by tacks e which are usually driven into the last at three points, two of which are closely adjacent the ends of the strips 0. With the parts thus arranged a uniform support will be provided for the strip 0 throughout its entire length and it will be securely held in this position.

From this point the usual operations of lasting, placing the outersole in position and sewing are performed. If the shank of the shoe is so narrow, or the upper is so full that the edge-portion of the up er over-laps the middle portion of the stiffener stri this portion will preferably be trimmed o so that, when the outersole is placed in position, its middle portion along the shank will directly engage the stiffener strip throughout the entire length of the latter.

By means of the above described method, the stiffener strip is provided with a firm bearing throughout its entire length under all conditions regardless of whether the edge portions of the up er overlap the position in which the strip 18 located when the shoe is lasted.

Important advanta as result in securing the stiti'ener stri to t e innersole before the latter is attache as this enables the use of a flat headed rivet, the head of which may be located at the inner surface of the innersole while the clenching operation may be per ormed by a machine against the metal strip so that there is practically no sibility that the strip may become misp aced as is the case when the strip is attached by a tack which is clenched against the inner surface of the sole.

As the strip 0 is held in close engagement with the surface of the reinforcing piece which is in turn secured, usually by staples, to the innersole and as the latter is secured to the last close to the ends of the strip, the innersole will be pressed firmly against the last and held against lateral displacement by the strip, so that when the shoe is lasted in the shank, the tendency to displace the innersole laterally by the unbalanced pull of the upper thereon will be eflectively resisted in most instances.

The metal stiffener stri c is preferably extended to'a, oint slight y in the rear of the middle of the heel seat, so that when the heel is attached. the shank part of the shoe will be held in fixed relation to the heel by the strip, and as the latter will be shaped lon itudinally to correspond to the contour oft e last, it will hold the ball portion of the shoe in fixed relation to the tread surface of the heel, so that, if the parts are correctly constructed, which is a mere matter of design, the shoe will always tread correctly and the other defects of previous methods hereinbefole referred to will be obviated.

I claim:

1. The method of making shoes of the type described which consists in attaching an inflexible shank-stifiener strip, which is curved longitudinally according to the longitudinal curvature of the shank-portion of the last on which the shoe is to be made. to an initially flexible innersole, in predetermined relation, so that the latter is shaped throughout its shank portion to correspond to the lon itudinal curvature of the strip, then positioning the innersole on me last bottom and securing the same thereto at each end of the strip, and then lasting the upper onto the innersole, and completing the makin operation.

2. fie method of making shoes of the type described which consists in providing an initially flexible innersole and a substan tially inflexible metal shank stifi'ener strip which is curved longitudinally according to the-longitudinal curvature of the shank portion of the last on which the shoe is to be made and is of substantially less width than the narrower shank portion of the inner sole, positioning the stiffener strip on the outer side of the inner sole, so that it extends from points on the heel portion to points adjacent the ball portion, driving suitably headed rivets thru the inner sole from its inner side and thru each end portion of the stifi'ener strip and clenching the end portions of the rivets against the outer side of the strip while the heads thereof are engaged with the inner side of the sole, so that the sole is securely attached to the strip and conformed to the longitudinal curvature thereof, securing the sole to the last in positioned relation, lasting the upper thereon, and completing the making opera- 10 tion.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE M. RAY.

from its inner side and thru each end porcurvature thereof, securing the sole to the tion of the stifi'ener strip and clenching the last in positioned relation, lasting the upper end portions of the rivets against the outer thereon, and completing the making opera- 1 side of the strip while the heads thereof are tion.

engaged with the inner side of the sole, so In testimony whereof, I have signed my that the sole is securely attached to the name to this specification.

strip and conformed to the longitudinal GEORGE M. RAY.

Certificate of Correction.

Patent N'O. 1,641,782. Granted September 6, 1927, to GEORGE M. RAY.

It is hereb certified that error appears in the printed specification of the abovenumbered pa tent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 60, for the word rigidly read rigidity; page 2, lines 36 and 37, for the word extend read emtent, same page, line 39, after the word portions strike out the corrrma and lnsert a period and the words The objects of the inventzon are to promrie a method of making shoes; and that the said Letters Patent should be read w1th these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case 1n the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 13th day of December, A. D. 1927.

[sun] 1 J. MOORE,

' Acting Gonwmmner of Patents.

- Certificate of Correction.

Patent 0. 1,641,782. Granted September 6, 1927, to GEORGE M. RAY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the abovenumbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 60, for the word rigidly read rigidity; page 2, lines 36 and 37, for the word extend read ewtent; same page, line 39, after the word portions strike out the comma and insert a period and the words The objects of the invention are to provide a method of making shoes; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these correcggrlls therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Signed and sealed this 13th day of December, A. D. 1927.

[mm] M. J. MOORE,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

